1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a product display system for molded plastic parts. More particularly, the present invention relates to a point of sale display system for molded plastic parts that comprises the combination of an array of interconnected elements including a plurality of tearably releasable, molded plastic parts, and a display card that is self-attachable to and carried by the array of elements.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, molded plastic parts were sometimes attached to punched, slotted and/or folded display cards for display at retail stores. Some products, such as molded plastic rulers and protractors, for example, were held in place by inserting portions through slots, under tabs, or into pockets formed in the display cards. Other products were attached to display cards using twist-ties that passed over the product, through the card, and were then twisted together on the back side of the card. Some display systems used a combination of both approaches. The use of polymeric bags and blister packs for attaching products to display cards is also well known. The bags and blisters used for such purposes are usually made of a clear plastic material and are attached by adhesive, staples, or the like, to the display card. The blister portion of a package is sometimes made in two hinged portions that fold together to surround the product, and is referred to as a clamshell. Sometimes the display card is folded, and flanges of the blister are secured by an adhesive disposed between the two folded layers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,509,532 and 5,649,621 disclose a display system for a plastic product wherein the part is molded in a butterfly configuration with a living hinge joining two opposed halves, and means are provided for self-attaching a foldable display card to the product.
With each of the prior art display systems described above, the display cards are typically stamped or punched with a hole or slot that is centrally disposed near the top of the card. The hole or slot allows the card to slide over a support rod or hanger attached to a shelf, pegboard or other display rack or panel on which merchandise is displayed at the point of sale. However, a principal disadvantage experienced with conventional molded product display systems is that the weight of the product is carried by the display card. Display cards are typically made of cellulosic cardstock that is susceptible to tearing. Whenever such packages are handled by store personnel or by customers at the point of sale, it is not unusual for the display cards to be torn, or for the hole or slot supporting the card and product to be ripped out, or for the products to become detached from the display cards, causing the package to become less salable.
Another disadvantage that has been experienced with the use of such conventional display systems for molded plastic products relates to the thickness of the packaged product. When several molded plastic articles are packaged in a bag or blister pack, particularly where the molded products are not nestable, the resultant thickness of the overall package may substantially reduce the number of packages and pieces of product that can be shipped in a container of a given size or displayed on a conventional support rod or hanger at the point of sale. With conventional display systems, the card area available for graphics and printing is generally limited.
Another disadvantage that has been experienced in marketing injection molded plastic products relates to the mold runners that are typically formed when such products are manufactured in a multi-cavity mold. These runners are formed when streams of melted plastic solidify in flow channels that interconnect and feed plastic to the various cavities of a mold. This solidification normally occurs as the molded parts cool inside the cavities in the mold platens prior to ejecting the parts from the mold cavities. Although it is possible to produce multiple parts from a multi-cavity mold without forming interconnecting runners by using additional gates or "hot runner" technology, the associated tooling costs are substantially higher than for "cold runner" tools.
Where multiple parts or products are injection molded with interconnecting runners, the runners are usually removed prior to packaging. Some molded products, such as model airplane parts, are packaged inside a box while still attached to the runners. Other molded products have been marketed by placing them in poly bags while still attached to the runners. U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,308 discloses a suture pledget dispensing system where the pledgets are molded in such manner that they can be tearably released from one or more runners, or from each other, or from a card which is a part of a package. Here again, however, the product-runner combination is shown (FIG. 8) packaged inside a blister pack.
A molded product display system is therefore needed that can be suspended from conventional support rods and hangers, and includes a display card with increased area for presentation of text and graphics, but that does not have the disadvantages associated with conventional display systems as described above. A display system for molded plastic products is also needed that can be used for displaying such products while still attached to a mold runner without fasteners or adhesives, and without the need for another external package such as a box, bag or blister pack.